The role of torsional motion on the properties of propiolic acid and its H/D isotopic analogs: A density functional study using SCTST and a full anharmonic VPT2 model

Theoretical Study of Gas-Phase Unimolecular Decomposition of Simulants of the Nerve Agent VX

In order to further understand and support approaches for the degradation and destruction of toxic chemicals, the thermal decomposition of the nerve agent VX through possible pericyclic hydrogen transfer reactions is investigated using simulant molecules. A total of four simulant molecules are studied. Three of them have only one possible H-transfer site, while the other has two. They are chosen to bring physical insights into individual steps of the pericyclic reaction mechanism as well as the possible existence of competing mechanisms. The unimolecular reaction rate constants at the high-pressure limit are calculated. Geometries of stationary structures on the potential energy surfaces are calculated with the MP2 method as well as the B3LYP and M06-2X functionals and 6-311++G(d,p), jul-cc-pVTZ, and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The barrier heights are corrected using energy values obtained at the CBS/QB3 level of theory. The contribution of the quantum tunneling effect to the reaction rate constants is included using one-dimensional semiclassical transition state theory. Adiabatic barrier heights, reaction rate constants, and branching ratio of the competing mechanisms are reported.

A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Study of Sarin (GB) Decomposition at High Temperatures

Theoretical and experimental results are presented for the pyrolytic decomposition of the nerve agent sarin (GB) in the gas phase. High-level quantum chemistry calculations are performed together with a semiclassical transition-state theory for describing quantum mechanical tunneling. The experimental and theoretical results for the temperature dependence of the survival times show very good agreement, as does the calculated and measured activation energy for thermal decomposition. The combined results suggest that the thermal decomposition of GB, for temperature ranging from 350 to 500 °C, goes through a pericyclic reaction mechanism with a transition state consisting of a six-membered ring structure.

Semiclassical Transition-State Theory Based on Fourth-Order Vibrational Perturbation Theory: The Symmetrical Eckart Barrier

Semiclassical transition-state theory based on fourth-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT4-SCTST) is applied to compute the barrier transmission coefficient for the symmetric Eckart potential. For a barrier parametrized to mimic the H2 + H exchange reaction, the results obtained are in excellent agreement with exact quantum calculations over a range of energy that extends down to roughly 1% of the barrier height, V0, where tunneling is negligible. The VPT2-SCTST treatment, which is commonly used in chemical kinetics studies, also performs quite well but already shows an error of a few percent at ca. 0.8 V0 where tunneling is still important. This suggests that VPT4-SCTST could offer an improvement over VPT2-SCTST in applications studies. However, the computational effort for VPT4-SCTST treatments of molecules is excessive, and any improvement gained is unlikely to warrant the increased effort. Nevertheless, the treatment of the symmetric Eckart barrier problem here suggests a simple modification of the usual VPT2-SCTST protocol that warrants further investigation.